Almost half of people of African descent in the European Union (EU) face racism, discrimination and hate crimes in their daily lives, denounces the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), in a report published this Wednesday.
According to an analysis by the EU agency, 45% of Afro-descendant people living in the community say they have been victims of racial discrimination in the last five years, which represents an increase compared to the last report carried out by the agency, in 2016. when the percentage was 39%.
The countries where people feel the most social discrimination are Germany and Austria, where the number of respondents who admitted to being subjected to racist behavior exceeds 70%. In Portugal, the percentage is 17%.
However, the FRA warns, discrimination “remains invisible”, since only 9% report it.
According to the same data, young women, people with higher education and those who wear religious clothing are the most susceptible to being victims of racial discrimination, which especially affects them when looking for work or accommodation.
Among those surveyed, about a third (34%) said they had experienced racial discrimination when looking for a job and 31% said they had been discriminated against in the workplace.
Additionally, compared to the general population, “they are more likely to be on temporary contracts and overqualified” for the work they do, the report notes.
More recently, rising inflation and the cost of living have placed more people of African descent at greater risk of poverty compared to the general population.
“Around 33% have difficulty meeting daily expenses and 14% do not have money to heat their homes, compared to 18% and 7% of the general population,” says the FRA, adding that, for citizens of African, finding a place to live is more difficult than for the general population.
When trying to find accommodation, the FRA also highlights that “31% of respondents said they had been victims of racial discrimination”, a growing trend since 2016.
“It is shocking to see that there has been no improvement since our last survey in 2016. On the contrary, people of African descent are increasingly facing discrimination simply because of the color of their skin,” laments FRA director Michael O’Flaherty. cited in the report.
“Racism and discrimination must have no place in our societies. The EU and its Member States must use these conclusions to better guide their efforts and ensure that people of African descent can also enjoy their rights freely, without racism or discrimination,” concludes the person in charge.
The FRA document analyzed the responses of more than 6,700 people of African descent living in 13 EU countries: Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Sweden .
Source: TSF
